Martin Banks wins OSA Tillyer Award

The Optical Society (OSA) announced that Dr. Martin S. Banks is the 2018 Edgar D. Tillyer Award recipient. Dr. Banks is recognized for applying an innovative and rigorous scientific approach to make significant contributions in the fields of visual development, sensory cue combination and 3D vision.

The Tillyer Award was established in 1953 through an endowment from the American Optical Co. It is presented to a person who has performed distinguished work in the field of vision, including (but not limited to) the optics, physiology, anatomy or psychology of the visual system. Beginning in 2016, this award is presented annually.

Dr. Banks received a bachelor’s degree from Occidental College in 1970. After a year teaching in Germany, he studied at University of California, San Diego where he received a master’s degree in experimental psychology in 1973. He received a Ph.D. in developmental psychology from University of Minnesota in 1976. From 1976-85, he was assistant and associate professor of psychology at University of Texas, Austin. In 1985, he joined UC Berkeley where he is professor of optometry and vision science. He was chair of the Vision Science Program from 1995-2002, and again in 2012.

With research that has focused on human visual development and on visual space perception in adults, Dr. Banks has targeted the perception of self-motion and depth from binocular disparity. His other work has investigated the integration of sensory information from different sources. Most recently, Dr. Banks has conducted basic and applied research on the development and evaluation of visual displays, including virtual and augmented reality.

“Dr. Banks has advanced knowledge in three major subfields of vision science: Visual development, sensory cue combination and 3D vision,” says award selection committee chair, Michael S. Landy, New York University, USA. “This is a testament to the power of his approach and the rigor with which he applies it.”

“Many advancements in the field derive from Dr. Banks’ pioneering contributions,” says Ursula Gibson, OSA President-elect and professor of physics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway. “His work continues to help shape the future of vision science.”